Virgin launches Europe’s first bio-diesel train

Europe’s first train powered by bio-diesel went into service in London with Britain’s next prime minister Gordon Brown on board for its maiden journey.

Finance minister Brown travelled on the Virgin Voyager train which left London Euston station for Llandudno on the north Wales coast.

The train has been modified to run on a blended fuel which is 20 percent environmentally-friendly bio-diesel — fuel derived from sustainable and biological sources such as rapeseed, soyabean and palm oil — and produces less carbon dioxide emissions than diesel.

Virgin Trains hopes to convert its entire fleet to run on bio-diesel if a six-month trial proves successful.